


Funhouse Exit

by Phoenixgriffin260



Series: The Circus | EntitySwap TMA [1]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Archivist Danny Stoker, Buried Avatar Peter Lukas, Danny Stoker Lives, Dark Avatar Helen Richardson, Dark Avatar Michael Shelley, F/M, Fear Entity Alignment Swap (The Magnus Archives), Gen, M/M, Multi, POV Alternating, Spiral Avatar Manuela Dominguez, Stranger Avatar Jonah Magnus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:22:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26920579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenixgriffin260/pseuds/Phoenixgriffin260
Summary: It shouldn't suprise Tim. It shouldn't.But there, in front of him, alive, is a very confused and formal looking Danny Stoker.
Relationships: Danny Stoker & Michael "Mike" Crew, Danny Stoker & Tim Stoker, Graham Folger & Sasha James, Helen Richardson & Danny Stoker, Helen Richardson/Karolina Gorka, Helen | The Distortion & Michael | The Distortion & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Tim Stoker/Joshua Gillespie
Series: The Circus | EntitySwap TMA [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964200
Comments: 16
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is Canon Tim in an AU setting. He is not aware of the AUs difference, and is currently being fucked over by the spiral

That, there, is _Danny._

Clutching a microphone, yes, but he is _Alive,_ and _flesh_ and _blood_ and- 

"You're not Tim," the voice is small, fragile; choked with layers of something he couldn't even understand and his eyes- god, his eyes- are wide, looking and watching and waiting.

"You're not Tim. Tim was taken," he repeats, fumbling with the mic, holding it closer. "Nikola said Jonah took him when I was in the library."

A breath catches in Tim's throat. " _Danny,"_ He blinks at the scars; small, round, still raw. "What did you get yourself into?"

"I told you, you're not _Tim,_ " Danny recoils, voice hitching with tears. He blinks; once, twice, fingers digging into the mic. "Nikola proved you were not _you-"_

"Please, listen to-" His fingers twitch in his pocket. (Wasn't Danny the one to hold his hand when they were walking to the park with the parents? Always pulling the younger brother card)?

"You're not Tim! I'm not going to listen! I lost you already! You lost me already! I don't want a fake brother!" Danny coils, yet again, like a scared dog in the face of a loaded gun. His fingers flip the switch; on, off, on, off- 

(The pattern reminds Tim of the Unknowing). 

-on, off, on, off, on- 

(And there is a cold, cool hand around his throat, edges blurring. Danny does not blink. Tim laughs. It hurts). 

-off, on, off, on, off- 

"I wasn't invited, was I?" The voice is smooth and cold, ice against the ticking of the mic. He curls his hands again and thinks about home. 

'Home' drops his own guard and shivers out a sob, eyes sewn into his clothing flitting their gaze at the newcomer, and Tim takes a step forwards; Danny does not move. 

The mic crackles. 

She smiles, and it is under the rim of space. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: neck gore, spiral typical horror

Skin cracks at the edge, and Tim hisses. Of course the fucking Spiral would have to show up and- 

Danny shakes out his hand, eyes flitting between Tim's and the taller woman (Helen, Tim thinks, thoughts like sandpaper curled between rocks); he smiles, awkwardly, nervously, digging his free hand into the eye-designed rim of his knitted jumper. 

It almost reminded Tim of Martin, and he freezes yet again. The cool grip of iridescent talons against his neck releases just a fraction, enough that cataclysmic-catacombs didn't dance their way through his flesh like honey-hive worms drunk and disorderly from... 

What was he _t_ _hinking?_

Tim shivers, and Danny chuckles, uncoiling; bound like a spring. "Even Tim can feel the Spiral?" There's a beat. "But you're not Tim." He adds, voice hitching again, lungs weak. 

"Interesting scientific standpoint," the thing purrs, curling over itself, collapsing inwards like a dying star. The tips of claws phantasm gore; Tim jolts, neck stuck on hooks. She giggles, tugging him closer to Danny, too many teeth flashing ultraviolet. "I'd say he's too much of Tim, funneled in through a flowered spider's wiles and pieced back together in multicoloured silk!" 

Danny retracts again, mic thumping against his chest. He taps the side, breathing low and grimacing- Tim wants to close his eyes, embrace him, arms steady around his younger brothers smaller frame and just... spill. 

The thing laughs again, splintered with every supernova. "Shall I? If you won't, Mr Stoker, I will!" A vauge approximant of a hand clicks against the mic. It tumbles into her fingers with a resounding _clack._

She keens, warbling in and out of echoes. Laughing. Danny locks eyes with Tim. 

"Testimony of one Tim Stoker, regarding his recent venture through Manuela's... _Distortion."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tim: whos this spiral avatar   
> Tim: helen?   
> Tim:   
> Tim: MANUELA???? 
> 
> Mostly a filler episode


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh my god," Joshua sighs, slumping forwards in his seat. "Tim still hasn't replied." 

Karolina rolls her eyes, putting down some small antique watch. "The reception down here is terrible. You know Graham's been badgering Elias for a booster for, what, ever since Jon took my statement?" She shrugs, lip curling as she tugs her jacket (wrung with dust and still mud-stained) closer. "You're just jealous that the homophobic pot might have gotten his-" 

Joshua chokes on his water, eyes wide and incredulous. "Really?" He pouts, rolling a shoulder and trying his hardest not to cough. "Because I swore I saw you trying to sweet talk the shadows once," 

"Oh, come on, you _know_ there's something up with them!" She drapes herself back over him, and he groans against the wooden counter. "Just because your boyfriend isn't answering your calls doesn't mean you get to poke fun at my supernatural tinder profile." 

The door clicks. "As somebody dating the mothman, I dissagree," comes the reply, and Joshua groans again, running fingers into coiled hair. 

"How'd taking the mick out of the archivists go?" Karolina doesn't skip a beat, sliding up and hefting the box of artefacts onto the table. 

"Terrible," Graham sighs, giving Joshua a sympathetic nod. "Tim's apparently dissapeared; they're blaming us Curators for that, by the way- Jon's gone off the rails looking for an archivist," he raises his fingers and pitches his voice lower. "'With a capital A', and we're supposed to get Josh's good ol' coffin brought to us in a month." 

"...Fuck." They mutter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curator gang Curator gang does whatever a Curator can


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't think we should be doing this," Joshua hisses, ducking under a broken wax figure. 

"Oh, please," Karolina rolls her shoulders, fingers clasped around the dangling switch. "It's just the Dark." 

"Exactly!" He hisses again, pressing closer to Karolina and jolting as the light suddenly goes out. "And you didn't ask Graham about it!" 

"You _know_ Graham's experience with the Dark, twat," She shoots back, flicking him in the head with a joking huff. "Bringing him here would be a death sentence. Elias would have us absolutely wringed for hurting his Curator." 

"At least then we could get _out,_ Karolina!" 

"What good does that do? The Entities would still be after us," 

"Oh, I don't know, maybe get us some protection from them? This place is a goddamned nightmare when it comes to attacks and you know that," 

"Not as bad as the Library, I'd imagine though- " 

"The one who likes to mock us for not taking statements right?" 

"Yeah, that one, like- Christ, we aren't supposed to take statements anyway, the public just decided we should at some point!" 

"Oh, finally, somebody with sense," his tone drawls. "Oh, the company that deals with items can't deal with legal trauma statements! Time to mock them! Like," 

"Exactly!" Karolina breathes out, knocking her knuckles against the wall. "Anyway, we're here." 

The shadows knock back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> banter before we get back to tim


End file.
